What Local Businesses Need to Know About Pinterest

Social media marketing is an ever-changing industry. It can be extremely difficult to keep up with all of the new changes and it can also be hard to figure out which avenues are most essential for your mobile marketing efforts. Pinterest is somewhat of a newcomer on the social media marketing scene, but it is clear that Pinterest is a winner. The following information will explain what local businesses need to know about Pinterest, so you can begin using Pinterest for your social media marketing campaign.

You may just be hearing about Pinterest, but Pinterest has actually been around since 2010. It remains in open beta, which means that you will need an invite if you wish to join Pinterest. This website has the unique claim to fame of being the social networking platform that hit 10 million unique US visitors in one month faster than any other such site. Furthermore, comScore reports that Pinterest users are on the website for around 98 minutes per month. That is far less than the 7 hours that Facebook users average per month, but Pinterest is still relatively new, and 98 minutes per month is a rather impressive statistic for such a young website.

What is Pinterest?

Pinterest is a social media site that relies heavily on visual components. Users post their own “pins” on their own virtual bulletin board, and get to decide what content will be displayed on the Pinterest page. Pins can be photographs, art pieces, recipes, articles, blog entries – the sky is the limit.

How Can Businesses Use Pinterest for Social Media Marketing?

Pinterest offers businesses another way to dive into social media marketing. Businesses can set up their own Pinterest page in order to share content with visitors. By designing and pinning compelling content, a business can increase the likelihood that other Pinterest users will ‘re-pin’ their content, thus exposing it to a wider audience. For example, if you are the owner of a retail store, you can use your Pinterest page to share interesting or unique clothing styles to start a new trend or to post photographs to introduce your client base to new clothing styles that they are sure to love. Or if you are the owner of a car repair shop, you can use your Pinterest page to post articles about how to change a tire, change your own oil, or other similar do-it-yourself projects to increase your business’s online reputation.

Best Practices for Pinterest

Here are some best practices to keep in mind if you wish to use Pinterest for your local business:

1. Do not simply promote your company.

Self-promotion is the goal, but you cannot be obvious about it. Instead, post pins that your target audience will like, and be sure to post pins that relate to your target niche, including content from other authorities in your industry.

2. Be Sure to Post Pins Often

Make sure that you post pins often. Of course, quality is better than quantity, so do not just pin something to pin something. Find something relevant to your target niche and post that.

3. Find Interesting Posts from Others and Re-Pin Them

Re-pinning is much like sharing on Facebook or re-tweeting on Twitter. Be sure to take notice of those who re-pin your posts, and be sure to re-pin the interesting posts of others. That way you can show the Pinterest community that you are truly a community member and not simply a business owner who is wishing to cash in on this new and exciting social media network.Click here to read more on “What is Multichannel Marketing and Why is it Essential for Your Business?“